Isaiah 22:1-11: a reflection

1The burden of the valley of vision. What ails you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops? 2You that are full of shouting, a tumultuous city, a joyous town, your slain are not slain with the sword, neither are they dead in battle. 3All your rulers fled away together. They were bound by the archers. All who were found by you were bound together. They fled far away. 4Therefore I said, “Look away from me. I will weep bitterly. Don’t labor to comfort me for the destruction of the daughter of my people. 5For it is a day of confusion, and of treading down, and of perplexity from the Lord, GOD of Armies, in the valley of vision, a breaking down of the walls, and a crying to the mountains.” 6Elam carried his quiver, with chariots of men and horsemen; and Kir uncovered the shield. 7Your choicest valleys were full of chariots, and the horsemen set themselves in array at the gate. 8He took away the covering of Judah; and you looked in that day to the armor in the house of the forest. 9You saw the breaches of David’s city, that they were many; and you gathered together the waters of the lower pool. 10You counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall. 11You also made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you didn’t look to him who had done this, neither did you have respect for him who planned it long ago.

Jerusalem is under threat, and the people spring into action. They inspect the breaches in the walls, tear down houses to fortify the defenses, gather water from the pools, organize the armory. It is all sensible, energetic, practical crisis management. But Isaiah names what is missing, and it is devastating: you did not look to him who did it, or have regard for him who planned it long ago. In all their busy preparation, they never turned to God.

Notice the indictment. It is not that they made practical preparations, which was reasonable, but that they made them as though God were not in the picture at all. They ran around securing walls and water, self-reliant and energetic, and it never occurred to them to look up, to seek the One who was actually behind the crisis and who alone could deliver them. They planned without God.

That is a temptation for capable, active people especially. When trouble comes, we swing into practical action, marshaling our resources, fixing what we can, and in all the sensible busyness, we can leave God entirely out, never actually turning to him. Isaiah's rebuke is a caution: by all means make wise preparations, but do not, in your energetic self-reliance, forget to look to the One behind it all. Do not plan your way through a crisis without consulting the God who holds it. Look to him who did it.

Lord, when trouble comes I swing into busy, practical action and can leave you entirely out, self-reliant and energetic, never actually turning to you. Forgive that. Help me make wise preparations without forgetting to look to you, the One behind it all. In every crisis, keep me from planning as though you were not there.